“It doesn’t seem like you’re of a status to stay in a place like this, why are you wandering alone?”

Riena was secretly pleased that he had noticed her high status. Of course, the girl didn’t realize that this was actually more dangerous.

“There are circumstances for that…, Oh! If you have time, would you like to have a meal together? As compensation for the incident on the train.”

Henry’s expression became somewhat awkward at the girl’s suggestion. But being next to her in this atmosphere would make the escort duty much easier.

Riena and Henry sat facing each other at a round table. When the girl asked what he wanted to eat, he replied to order the same thing.

“Sir, what brings you here?”

“I came because I have some business to attend to.”

Henry, only 23 years old, was greatly shocked by Riena’s innocent question.

Of course, his harsh training and sun-tanned face would make him look older than his peers, but it pained his heart to be called “sir” by a young lady only nine years younger.

“I see. Then will you be staying here for long?”

“It seems that will likely be the case.”

Riena poured out various stories to Henry. From why she was here to what she planned to do next, everything.

Strangely, she felt it would be alright to tell him these things.

When the rickshaw driver had asked various questions, she had only felt wary, but with the man in front of her, she felt she could tell him anything and ask for help?

“Young lady, then do you not know anyone in Artenbach? Somewhere you could stay for a while, I mean. Other than a hotel or inn.”

At Henry’s words, a light bulb went off in Riena’s head. Could she request to stay at the Artenbach ducal family’s residence?

‘But I ran away from home… If I stay there, elder brother and elder sister will find out right away.’

Unaware that her family already knew everything, the girl fell into serious contemplation.

Henry hoped that the mischievous little young lady would not stay in a shabby inn filled with vagrants and thieves. If there truly was no other way, he was even considering acting as her guardian and getting her a hotel room.

‘Still, wouldn’t that be better than staying in a shabby inn? I’ll just request to stay at the ducal family’s place until I can find a house.’

Her sister, the ruler, would not be able to easily leave Teravita.

Her eldest brother would be busy with matters at the art academy, and Lambermon didn’t have the courage to set out alone.

Once her thoughts reached that far, she decided what she needed to do right away.

“Thanks to you, sir, I think I know what I need to do.”

Henry’s uneasiness grew at the girl’s sudden response. He hoped the little young lady would knock on the door of the Artenbach ducal family as he thought, but the girl’s unpredictable nature meant he couldn’t let his guard down.

“Your order is ready.”

The waiter set down the plates at just the right moment. Riena picked up her fork with a joyful heart. Then she smiled at Henry, urging him to eat as well.

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Although Riena was a delinquent student who dozed off during classes and got more wrong answers than right on tests, she at least knew that visiting a mansion without an appointment was not proper noble etiquette.

So as soon as she left the inn, she parted ways with the man. She planned to go to the post office to send a telegram requesting to stay at the Artenbach ducal family’s residence.

The weather was nice and her stomach was full, so she decided to walk. Was it just her imagination that the bag that had felt heavy now seemed lighter?

Humming a tune, she arrived at the post office. Amidst the noisy machine sounds and the clamor of people, Riena somehow managed to find the telegraph office, wrote down the contents to be sent by telegram on a note, and handed it to the operator.

After paying quite a sum, Riena successfully sent the telegram and came outside to look around for a place to stay until a reply came.

Since she didn’t know when the reply would arrive, she was even considering staying at one of the inns on that street from earlier if necessary.

[This is the timeline separator]

Rublion, who had grown tall enough that he no longer needed to look up at Schmidt, doubted his own eyes when he stopped by the post office to send a letter to Teravita.

‘Did I see wrong?’

He had seen a girl resembling Riena Teravita walking while struggling with a large bag.

Among the many people coming and going inside, only that girl caught his eye.

‘There’s no way the princess would be here.’

Of course, he often thought about wanting to see Riena, but not to the point of having hallucinations.

Still, it was strange. It felt like he shouldn’t just let it go.

“Eric, can you see that child?”

“Where, sir?”

“There.”

Rublion pointed at the girl with his finger. Eric frowned and squinted his eyes to look carefully before answering.

“Oh, she does resemble Princess Teravita a lot. I suppose she would be about that size by now.”

Just as he was considering telling Eric to follow her.

The boy spotted a suspicious man watching the girl who resembled Princess Teravita from afar. As soon as the girl left the post office, he swiftly began to follow her.

Rublion’s heart sank. Although Artenbach’s public safety was better than the capital’s, one couldn’t say there was absolutely no crime.

Above all, he couldn’t just let it go, especially since Askal had been working day and night recently because of a group that was kidnapping only young women and smuggling them abroad.

“Eric, follow that child. And find out the identity of the man tailing her too.”

“Yes, young master.”

At his master’s order, the knight shot out like an arrow. Rublion quickly sent his mail and then came outside with the rest of the knights.

After a short while.

Following the whistle sound indicating their location, they found Eric, who had already lost patience and subdued the man.

“Step aside. I have a job to do.”

“Shut up. Creepily following a young woman.”

“That’s not it…”

Rublion shook his head. He regretted sending the hot-tempered Eric.

“Save your excuses for the security forces!”

Eric pulled out the dagger hidden in his chest. The man cried out in fear.

“I’m a member of the Teravita Knights! I’m secretly escorting the princess on Duke’s orders!”

As soon as the word Teravita came out, the atmosphere froze. It wasn’t just someone who looked similar, but the real Riena.

“The real princess? Why is the princess here?”

Rublion muttered as he emerged from behind Eric. Henry crossed his arms in front of him as he looked at the boy who, though he had never seen before, was clearly the young master of Artenbach.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Young Master. I am Henry of the Teravita Knights. Please forgive my informal greeting as I’ve just lost sight of the princess.”

Self-introductions weren’t important right now. Rublion spoke, feeling what it meant for one’s blood to run cold.

“Eric. Help Henry find Princess Teravita. And we’ll discuss this matter further when we return to the knights’ headquarters.”

“Yes, sir!”

The boy glared fiercely at the knight whose hot temper had ruined things. But it was impossible to undo what had already happened.

As Eric and Henry disappeared to the end of the alley to search for Riena.

Rublion decided to look around the outskirts of the city with the remaining knights. For some reason, he felt Riena might be there.

[This is the timeline separator]

Returning early from work at the art gallery, I unfolded two letters handed to me by the butler. One was from the Teravita ducal family, and one was from the Artenbach post office.

I opened the letter from the post office first.

‘Why did Princess Teravita send a telegram from the Artenbach post office?’

Unable to understand the situation, I opened the remaining letter as well.

“Oh my…”

The letter stated that Riena Teravita had run away from home for some reason and taken a train to Artenbach, and asked that if we happened to find the princess, to give her a hard time in consideration of the loyalty between our families.

Not protection, but to give her a hard time.

Above all, I was surprised by the fact that she had come all this way alone by train.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

Chloe was already toddling into the office. I answered as I lifted my daughter, whose pink hair was tied up in round buns on both sides, with both arms.

“Elder brother’s friend wants to come play.”

“Elder brother’s fwiend?”

“Yes, friend.”

I became very curious about Rublion’s reaction to this news.

He preciously stored letters from Teravita in a treasure box, and insisted on going to the post office himself to send replies directly, even though he could have asked someone else to do it.

“Chloe, aren’t you curious who elder brother’s friend is?”

“Yes, I’m cuwious.”

I took Chloe’s chubby cheeks into my mouth. Then I gave her a loud kiss before setting her down on the floor.

“Then I guess we should reply saying to come.”

“Yes.”

I smiled broadly at Chloe, who had suddenly become much more talkative. Rublion would be so surprised, wouldn’t he?

[This is the timeline separator]

Upon hearing that Rublion had returned from the post office, I went downstairs to the first floor with Chloe. There, servants and maids were lined up to welcome the returning young master.

Creak.

Soon the door opened, revealing only the knights who had gone out with Rublion. Just as I was wondering where the child was, a familiar yet unfamiliar face appeared among the knights.

“Oh my?”

The princess who had reportedly run away for some reason was repeatedly covering her reddened face with her palms, seemingly embarrassed, among them.

Rublion entered right after.

“I’m back, Mother.”

Saying so, Rublion spread his arms toward Chloe. The Teravita princess opened her eyes wide in surprise as she watched the small person snuggle into the boy’s embrace.

“Princess, I received your letter well.”

At my words, Riena hurriedly grasped the hem of her dress. Then she lowered her posture and said,

“I’m sorry for visiting without an appointment like this.”

“It’s alright.”

I said, looking at the heavy bag the princess had set down on the floor.

“Come in first. Let’s talk about the details inside.”

Then we can decide how to give her a hard time.